Name: Woodward County
Brand: Ian D. Swart
SKU: 9780738561158
Price: 18.74 USD
Availability: InStock

Woodward County

9780738561158

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

The first settlement in what would become Woodward County was Camp Supply, a military post that had been established in 1868 during the Indian Wars on the American frontier. In 1887, a provisioning point for the post on the Southern Kansas Railway was created and named Woodward. It was not until six years later that the area known as the Cherokee Outlet would be opened to nonnative settlement. At high noon on September 16, 1893, thousands of hopeful settlers rushed into the territory to stake their claims in this new land. On a sunny day in 1907, William Jennings Bryan spoke to a crowd of 20,000 people in the county seat, urging the ratification of the new Oklahoma Constitution. During the late 20th century, Woodward County's extensive deposits of oil led to a booming economy. In Woodward County, the lives of cowboys, lawyers, gunfighters, brothel madams, and everyday farmers intersect as a civilization rises from the open prairie.

Tubac

9780738578644

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

First inhabited by indigenous people, Tubac has been home to a number of cultures. It became Arizona's first European settlement when the Presidio de San Ignacio de Tubac was established in 1752. It was the Gadsden Purchase of 1853, however, that brought the area under U.S. control. Charles Debrille Poston, the self-proclaimed "father" of Arizona, established a mining company here in 1856, but the ongoing Apache presence made life difficult in spite of the defense provided by two nearby military forts. After Geronimo's surrender in 1886, farming and ranching dominated local life until the 1940s when dude ranches attracted Eastern tourists and altered the local economy. Tubac took its first steps as an art colony when Dale Nichols started an art school here in 1948 and when the Santa Cruz Valley Art Association was founded in 1959. Since that time, the community has embraced its theme of "where art and history meet."

Hutto

9780738578606

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

In 1854, a freed slave named Adam Orgain settled in an area of Central Texas that would later become known as Hutto. Soon after, James Emory Hutto and his family followed, and the town was founded in 1876 when he donated land to the International-Great Northern Railroad. The growing town attracted many immigrants of Swedish, German, and Danish descent. Through the years, Hutto has been known for its agriculture, the railroad, and the diversity of its settlers and immigrants. Today the city is known for the old town area, the schools, the Hutto Co-op, the hippo, and the hospitable residents. Since 2000, Hutto has been recognized as the fastest growing city in Texas.

Kingfisher and Kingfisher County

9780738561042

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Kingfisher and Kingfisher County showcases images from a special time, 1889 to just before World War II, and special places, small towns on the edge of the Great Plains. Sometimes called "the Buckle of the Wheat Belt," the city of Kingfisher is the county seat and lies about 45 minutes northwest of Oklahoma City near the center of the state. Other towns, Hennessey, Loyal, Cashion, Dover, and Okarche, still exist and thrive, although many other small towns in the county are only memories. The eastern portion of the county was opened by the land run of 1889, and the western portion, originally part of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Reservation, was opened by the land run of 1892. The growth and harvesting of hard red winter wheat has long been central to the economy of the area. Photographs of Cheyenne Indians, floods, wheat harvesting, small-town stores, and the people of the area are only some of the materials that preserve showing the way life was in Kingfisher and Kingfisher County.

Phoenix’s Greater Coronado Neighborhood

9780738585338

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Although Phoenix may be the youngest major urban center in the United States, it was one of the first to recognize the significance of its historic neighborhoods by placing them in the city Historic Property Register. The three historic areas that form the basis of the Greater Coronado Neighborhood are Coronado, designated in 1986; Country Club Park, designated in 1993; and Brentwood, designated in 2003. The story of Phoenix is comprised of the collective experiences of many groups who have lived here. Weaving these multiple histories together through images of the people and places of the Greater Coronado Neighborhood, readers will have the opportunity to discover a neighborhood that is rich in resources and people who have helped Phoenix mature throughout the years.

The Verde River

9780738578897

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Archaeologists discovered that the Hohokam were an advanced native tribe who built elaborate irrigation systems along the Verde River, and then disappeared. Early Arizona settlers recognized the tenacity and intelligence of the Hohokam and began to reconstruct their canal system. In 1903, the Salt River Project commenced, and the first lake on the lower Verde River was formed with the completion of the Bartlett Dam in 1939. Seven years later and 12 miles upstream from Bartlett, the Horseshoe Reservoir was created in order to expand copper mining during World War II. The astonishing result of these reservoirs is today's sprawling desert megalopolis of Phoenix, Arizona. Nicknamed "The River of Time," the Verde River is a timeline of Arizona history, and it is essential to human life and livelihood in the area.

Tempe

9780738548883

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Home to 165,000 residents (within a 40 square mile radius), the city of Tempe is surrounded by the booming cities of Mesa, Phoenix, Scottsdale, and Chandler. But the Salt River Valley area was once populated with just a few small farms, when Charles Trumbull Hayden, owner of a mercantile and freighting business in Tucson, homesteaded here in 1870. The community he established--Hayden's Ferry--soon became the trade center for the south side of the valley. Hayden's Ferry became Tempe in 1879 at the suggestion of Englishman Darrell Duppa, who commented that the area reminded him of the Vale of Tempe in Greece, and it was not long before other developments promoted the growth of this new town. In 1885, the Arizona legislature selected Tempe as the site for the Territorial Normal School, the predecessor of Arizona State University. The Maricopa and Phoenix Railroad, which crossed the Salt River at Tempe, was built in 1887, and in 1911, the Roosevelt Dam was completed. World War II, the creation of Tempe Town Lake, and other 20th-century events also influenced the growth and character of Tempe, now Arizona's seventh largest city.

Durant

9780738590981

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Durant, the seat of Bryan County, is located in southeastern Oklahoma only 10 miles from Lake Texoma, one of the largest man-made lakes in the United States; it is also about 17 miles from the Red River and the Texas border. Durant, a beautiful city with many magnolia trees lining its streets, has officially been recognized by the Oklahoma Legislature as the Magnolia Capital of Oklahoma. The annual Magnolia Festival is attended by tens of thousands of people and offers a wide variety of family-oriented activities.

Cover image for Durant, isbn: 9780738590981

Cottonwood

9780738579993

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

In the last quarter of the 19th century, a circle of 16 tall Cottonwood trees stood in the wash that extended to the Verde River just north of where the old jail building now stands. Cattlemen and ranchers from Oak Creek and the mountains made their overnight stops under these trees and the location became known as "The Cottonwoods." The lush riparian area attracted hardy settlers, and Fort Verde's military camp and the copper mines of Jerome provided a ready market for agricultural goods. Thus began the town that was soon to become the commercial hub for the Verde Valley. Today the incorporated city of Cottonwood serves an area population of over 55,000 and boasts a diverse economy based on health care, education, tourism, and the service and retail industries. With its moderate climate, beautiful setting, and small-town charm, combined with the amenities of a larger city, Cottonwood continues to attract steady growth and tourism.

Wickenburg

9780738585048

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Once known as the "Dude Ranch Capital of the World," Wickenburg, Arizona, has had many lives since its founding during the Civil War years. When German immigrant Henry Wickenburg discovered the Vulture Gold Mine in the fall of 1863 and put down roots as a miner and farmer, he also set down the beginnings of the city that would be named in his honor. Early residents and visitors included miners, ranchers, gunslingers, newspaper editors, and saloon keepers. Families made their way to town in the early 20th century and opened businesses, established churches and a library, and sent their children to local schools. In the 1930s, dude ranches blossomed in and around the city limits and tourists were enchanted by the real Wild West ambience. As the century progressed, people remained in town for generations, while newcomers regularly moved in to enjoy Wickenburg's desert setting and modern amenities.

Holy City of the Wichitas

9780738560045

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

It is a trip back in time, only 100 miles from Oklahoma City and northwest of Lawton. In the time line of history, the Holy City of the Wichitas is just a youngster at 84 years old. Here the future is spoken of as well as the past. The Holy City is now as it has always been. Visitors can walk the pathways, feel the boulder-clad buildings, be married in the breathtakingly beautiful chapel, and see the Prince of Peace pageant. The original setting was five miles to the east in mountainous Medicine Park. Many events had been set in motion for this time in history: the economy of the day, the arrival of a slightly built young minister with a magnificent dream, and a president of the United States, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who was willing to become involved.

Maricopa

9780738579955

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

The Hohokam built an extensive network of canals with sticks and stone hoes, but mysteriously disappeared in 1450. Later, the Pima and Maricopa Indians occupied their farmlands near the Gila River, and Maricopa took on the name of the latter. In 1858, Maricopa became an isolated little town in the middle of the desert. It served as the major stage station for the Butterfield Overland Stage Station and became a beacon of light for trappers, traders, and immigrants brave enough to travel its unknown land. Maricopa moved south in 1879 to latch onto the newly built Southern Pacific Railroad and became Arizona's freighting distribution center. A second move took it 4 miles east to better align with Tempe. Thus began Maricopa's life as an important railroad junction, playing host to two presidents, 1911 flying machines, honeymoon couples, actors, and a nest of wildcats to entertain the hundreds of passengers who waited for their connections to Phoenix or east-west. In the early 2000s, Maricopa grew from a small farming community to a city, earning it the title of one of the fastest growing cities in the nation. Today its population continues to grow with more than 40,000 inhabitants from all over the United States and world.

Florence

9780738548999

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

In 1866, Florence rose on the banks of the Gila River in south central Arizona. People came from near and far to this early settlement in the Arizona Territory, joining the Native Americans and Mexican
farmers already established there. The town boomed with the discovery of a silver mine nearby. Politicians and lawyers followed when Florence
became the seat of Pinal County in 1875, and when the Territorial Prison arrived in 1909, the community's future no longer depended upon the fickle mining business. World War II brought a prisoner-ofwar camp, and popular youth rodeos added to Florence's remarkable character and history. In the 1970s, citizens began a model effort to preserve their community's legacy and remaining historic structures. The major growth that early Florence anticipated is finally occurring all around the town, bringing change once again.

Around San Tan Mountain

9780738548951

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Within a few years of 1912--the year Arizona became the 48th state admitted to the Union--families began to settle on homesteads 30 miles southeast of Phoenix. These early settlers were primarily farmers
of diverse heritage and faith. San Tan Mountain provided the backdrop for the arduous task of clearing cactus and thorny scrub brush from the
desert. As irrigation water was pumped from drilled wells, crops took root on newly cultivated fields, and the communities of Rittenhouse, Higley, Combs, and Chandler Heights were established. Rittenhouse later became the town of Queen Creek. These communities were influenced--like many others across the Southwest--by war, the Depression, and immigration, all of which challenged and enriched the area.

Sherman

9780738579832

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Sherman was founded in 1846, but because of a lack of wood and water, the town moved east to its present location in 1848. The county seat of Grayson County, Sherman was named for Gen. Sidney Sherman, a hero of the Texas Revolution. From the beginning, Sherman was known as an educational center and was nicknamed "The Athens of Texas." The home of Kidd-Key Conservatory of Music, Mary Nash College, North Texas Male and Female Academy, Carr-Burdette College, and today the prestigious Austin College, Sherman has long been an educational mecca. Sherman was incorporated in 1858, the same year the Butterfield-Overland Stage arrived. The stage line was the first mail route west of the Mississippi and covered a distance of 2,795 miles from St. Louis to San Francisco. As Sherman progressed, industry became a mainstay of the community, which continues to thrive today through companies such as Texas Instruments, GlobiTech, Sunny Delight, Progress Rail, Tyson Foods, Fisher Controls, Kaiser Aluminum, and CertainTeed Corporation.

Atlanta

9780738584850

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Atlanta is located in Cass County in East Texas, an agricultural area that focuses on livestock and timber. Cass County was named for Lewis Cass, a Michigan senator who was in favor of Texas annexation. However, during the Civil War, Cass fell out of favor with the locals because he was against Texas secession. In 1872, Atlanta became an official town, and settlers named their new settlement after their hometown of Atlanta, Georgia. In 1954, Texas acquired 1,475 acres of land that would become the Atlanta State Park. Football is also a very popular part of life here, second only to hunting and fishing. The plentiful woods and beautiful lakes in the area draw many visitors and retirees.

Page and Lake Powell

9781467131582

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

The people who descended on the remote northern Arizona wilderness in the early 1950s to build Glen Canyon Dam and the town of Page were true pioneers. They arrived to find Glen Canyon, a sandy, desolate hilltop with walls over 700 feet deep that had been part of the vast Navajo reservation, and an incredibly challenging way of life. The first blast necessary for site excavation at Glen Canyon Dam was triggered on October 15, 1957, when Pres. Dwight D. Eisenhower pressed a key setting off the explosion from an office in Washington, DC. Almost 10 years later, construction was completed on the nation's second-highest concrete dam, harnessing the waters of the Colorado River and forever changing the history of the local area and the West. Today, over three million annual visitors enjoy the diverse and awe-inspiring landscape surrounding Page and Lake Powell.

African Americans in Corpus Christi

9780738585284

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

From slavery to freedom, to education, to achievement: these words reflect the goals of African Americans who first came as slaves with the Spanish to this part of the Texas coast. Freed by the Civil War on Juneteenth (June 19, 1865), blacks soon established an active and viable community, a significant part of which was defined by the black churches. Prominent leaders emerged, including Solomon Melvin Coles, H. Boyd Hall, Rufus Avery, and Gloria Randle Scott. Using photographs from individual collections, as well as the Corpus Christi Public Library, Corpus Christi Museum of Science and History, and Texas A&M University Corpus Christi, African Americans in Corpus Christi reveals the history and people of Corpus Christi.

Stamford

9780738595757

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Stamford arose almost overnight at the turn of the 20th century as a partnership between the Texas Central Railroad and the vast Swenson Brothers ranches. Businessmen, workers, and cattlemen began erecting the new community even before the railroad arrived in February 1901. The young city quickly became a commercial center with additional railroad connections, wholesale distributors, banks, brick-paved streets, small industries, a hospital, and the renowned Stamford Inn. Over the next two decades, farmers joined ranchers in developing the West Texas plains, and new businesses arose, along with a college and a Carnegie library. In 1930, a group of citizens formed the Texas Cowboy Reunion Association and began an annual celebration of ranch life that endures to the present day. Through changing times and fortunes, Stamford has maintained its role as an agricultural regional center and has preserved the heritage of its commercial and agrarian roots.

Hallettsville

9780738596365

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Hallettsville, known as the "City of Hospitality," has been the county seat of Lavaca County since 1852. The city is situated on the east bank of the Lavaca River. Margaret Hallet gave the land for the townsite, and her influence helped secure Hallettsville as the permanent county seat. By means of a charter, the city of Hallettsville was incorporated in 1879. Scenes from the popular musical The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, starring Burt Reynolds and Dolly Parton, feature the scenic Hallettsville courthouse square. Annual city events include the Kolache Festival, Fiddler's Frolic, and the Festival of Lights. The Texas Championship Domino Hall of Fame also calls Hallettsville home.

Killeen

9780738596044

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

The story of Killeen is aptly called "a tale of two cities." Killeen was founded on May 15, 1882, when the first Gulf, Colorado & Santa Fe Railway Company (GC&SF) locomotive arrived from east Bell County. The original town contained 360 acres purchased from Susan Spofford for $960. GC&SF honored its assistant general manager, Frank Patrick Killeen, by naming the new town for him, although he probably never visited his namesake. During its first 60 years, Killeen developed into a busy agricultural center specializing in cotton and wool. It remained a town of approximately 1,200 until 1942, when a tank destroyer center was opened nearby and became Killeen's close neighbor--physically, economically, and socially--displacing farms and ranches and converting the town from an agricultural to a military-based economy. That conversion and Killeen's boomtown future were sealed in 1950, when Camp Hood, the tank destroyer center named for Confederate general John Bell Hood, became a permanent military installation and was renamed Fort Hood.

Gainesville and Cooke County

9780738507859

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Cooke County, Texas, located in the north central part of the state, has a richly varied history. Those who first entered the area-Native Americans, gold seekers headed for California, army officials, and settlers-discovered a raw, unspoiled land. Eyewitness accounts speak of "grass that was as high as a man's head," and indeed, the land was rich for farming and ranching. In 1841, W.S. Peters and associates signed their first contract with the Republic of Texas, which provided that within three years they would bring six hundred families into what came to be known as the Peters Colony. In 1848, the state legislature created Cooke County, named for a hero of the Texas War for Independence. Over the next 150 years, the area changed dramatically. The stagecoach arrived in 1858, and conveyed freight, passengers, and mail. The Civil War presented economic and social difficulties that had to be overcome. Two major cattle trails flanked Cooke County, and cowboys roared into Gainesville to visit the saloons, get supplies, gamble, and visit the "soiled doves." The discovery of oil, and the resultant wealth that it brought, forever altered the face of the county.

Kemah

9780738585031

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Kemah is the Karankawa Indian word for "wind in the face." In the early 1900s, it was a breezy coastal village where many residents made a living in the fishing or boating industries. From the 1920s to the 1950s, Kemah relied on illegal gambling and bootlegging to survive. After the devastation of Hurricane Carla in 1961, local restaurants rebuilt and became favorites of Houstonians, who enjoyed the seafood and relaxing atmosphere. Because subsidence caused much of Kemah to flood during high tide, a marina was built in 1988 to ease the problem in low-lying areas. Today, the Kemah area has the third largest fleet of recreational boats in America. When older homes were converted into quaint shops, the Kemah Lighthouse Shopping District was formed. In 1997, property on the Clear Creek channel and Kemah bay front was acquired in order to develop the Kemah Boardwalk, one of the top 10 boardwalks in America.

Murray County

9780738503127

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Created from part of the Chickasaw Nation, Indian Territory, Murray County is an area of Oklahoma rich in resources and heritage. The 420 square miles of rolling hills and fields were home to several different groups and tribes of Native Americans, as well as an abundance of bison and other wild animals.
During the early twentieth century, thousands of tourists testified to the healing powers of the free-flowing springs, flocking to the area. The Arbuckle Mountains, Turner Falls, Platt National Park, the Chickasaw National Recreation Area, and the Lake of the Arbuckles also draw visitors each year. Combining scenes of community and family life, industries, commerce, catastrophes, and celebrations with lively commentary, this book illustrates the history that shaped Murray County in a way that is both entertaining and educational.

Oklahoma City Zoo

9780738540498

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

The Oklahoma City Zoo began when a single deer was donated to a neighborhood park. Because deer were rare in 1902, crowds flocked to see the creature. Soon other people in Oklahoma Territory began donating native animals such as bears, golden eagles, and wolves. By 1903, the little menagerie became known as Wheeler Park Zoo, the first zoo in the Southwest. During its next 50 years, the zoo endured flooding, relocation, and tough economic slumps brought on by wars and the Dust Bowl. The zoo survived, however, because it provided a fun, relaxing place where people could go to escape from daily life. The community, in turn, rallied to help the zoo by donating precious pocket change to buy food and purchase new animals. Children, especially, were responsible for bringing some of the zoo's most memorable animals to Oklahoma City, especially Judy the Elephant. Here lies the story of how a zoo grew up along with its city, largely told with photographs of the animal "personalities" that attracted
visitors in the first place.

Historic Dallas Parks

9780738578910

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Dallas, called "Big D," is the eighth largest city in the United States and rests on 343 square miles of rolling prairie. To meet the growing recreational and cultural needs of its citizens, the Dallas Park and Recreation Department maintains more than 23,018 park acres--one of the largest municipal park systems in the country. Dallas has over 400 individual parks, including community centers, swimming pools, athletic fields, and a metropolitan zoo. From such well-known places as Fair Park, home of the State Fair of Texas and the Texas Centennial Exposition of 1936, to Dealey Plaza, and to lesser-known neighborhood parks, Dallas parks have a rich history stretching from the days when Dallas was a western boom town to a 21st century metropolis. Historic Dallas Parks explores the origins and early development of this nationally recognized system with interesting background stories and facts and illustrated with photographs and historical documents from the collections of the Dallas Municipal Archives.

Denison

9781467115117

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Denison was founded in 1872, when the Missouri-Kansas-Texas (MKT) Railroad established a terminus just south of the Red River. The small town quickly grew to hold a prominent place in the 19th-century American West, and it prospered alongside the railroad, becoming the gateway to Texas from the North. Denison has the distinction of being the birthplace of Pres. Dwight Eisenhower, the site of the first free, graded public school in Texas, and home to beautiful Lake Texoma. This book features a diverse collection of postcard images and takes readers on a journey through Denison's colorful past.

Cover image for Denison, isbn: 9781467115117

Nocona

9780738579979

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

When a town is named for a Comanche chief, it sets a certain standard to be bold, strong, and original. Nocona, Texas, certainly lives up to these expectations. With roots firmly bound in the Western lore of the cattle drives, Nocona began as a ranching community of sturdy, tenacious men and women. Agriculture was the driving force of the economy until Herman Joseph Justin chose Nocona as the headquarters of his boot company. Justin Boots was the first in a long line of leather-related industries that were instrumental in making Nocona the "Leather Center of the Southwest." The oil boom of the 1920s and the creation of Nocona's North Field added yet another facet to an already unique history. Nocona's past is steeped in Native American culture, Western heritage, agriculture, and the oil and leather industries. Today Nocona is as vibrant and exciting as its past. The annual Old Settlers' Days celebration, the Tales 'N' Trails Museum, the charming Verandah Inn, and Daddy Sam's Saloon along with other wonderful revitalization efforts make Nocona a must-see on any tour of North Texas.

Eddy County

9780738579412

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Eddy County's 4,198 square miles were carved from the massive land holdings of Lincoln County, then the largest county in the United States, on February 25, 1889. Early Spanish explorers and Native Americans had used the seemingly endless water supply of the Pecos River, which bisects the county, as a trail to the north. Seven Rivers, the first settlement in the Pecos Valley, battled the newly formed town of Eddy for the honor of remaining county seat. Eddy won by a vote of 331 for and 83 against. Although born in lawlessness and diversity, the county flourished as the discoveries of oil, gas, and potash brought industry to support the established fertile agricultural and cattle foundations. This volume explores the early founding families and pioneers and brings to light many of the long-forgotten towns of Dayton, Lookout, Oriental, and Globe that helped form the Eddy County of today.

Cover image for Eddy County, isbn: 9780738579412

African Americans in El Paso

9781467131773

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

El Paso's African American community can trace its origins back to the 16th century, when the black Moor known as Esteban roamed the southwest and, more significantly, those Africans in the party of conquistador Juan de Oñate crossed the Rio Grande in 1598. The modern El Paso African American community began to take shape in the 1880s, as the railroad industry, military establishment, and agricultural community all had black Americans in their ranks. Black leaders and their followers established a school and founded several significant black churches. Texas's first state branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is recorded to have been formed in El Paso; the first major court cases that challenged the all-white Democratic primary came from this city; the Texas Western College basketball team won the NCAA championship in 1966 with five starting black players; and today, the city is inhabited by black military retirees, entrepreneurs, educators, and other professionals (each with vibrant and socially conscious organizations), making it a progressive model of community development.

Camelback Mountain

9780738548401

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Camelback Mountain, a 2,704-foot peak that bears a remarkable resemblance to a kneeling camel, is one of Phoenix's most visible and cherished landmarks. From the city's earliest days, Camelback has been a magnet for promoters and developers, drawing Phoenix's most colorful characters to it either for profit or rest. But these modern dreamers were not the first to come under Camelback's spell. Many centuries ago, the earliest known inhabitants of the area made the mountain a sacred place. Today most hikers are unaware of the rich history that surrounds them as they explore the natural beauty of Camelback Mountain.

Van Alstyne

9781467130776

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Images of America: Van Alstyne relates the story of a Texas town born in an era when small-town life was deeply ingrained in America. Founded by 1873, Van Alstyne is a close-knit, patriotic, religious, hardworking, and progressive-minded community. Surrounded by prime farmland, Van Alstyne thrived as a center for cotton ginning. In addition to railroad service, a far-ranging interurban line enhanced Van Alstyne's transportation system for 40 years. The Van Alstyne Grays, a semiprofessional team that placed its stars into baseball's big leagues, represented the national pastime. The town's former opera house still stands, and so do other Victorian commercial buildings and homes--tangible reminders of a classic American town that continues to offer the amenities of a comfortable community.

The Counterfeit Prince of Old Texas

9781467117876

$21.99 $16.49 Save 25%

After Monroe Edwards died in Sing Sing prison in 1847, penny dreadfuls memorialized him as the most celebrated American forger until the turn of the century. With a bizarre biography too complicated for easy history, his critical contributions to Texas settlement, revolution and annexation were inextricably mired in his activities as a slave smuggler and confidence man. Author Lora-Marie Bernard unravels the unbelievable story of one of the most notorious criminal adventurers ever to set foot on the soil of the Lone Star State.

Cover image for The Counterfeit Prince of Old Texas, isbn: 9781467117876

Truth or Consequences

9780738579177

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

"Hot Springs, New Mexico, Ain't That Any More" was one of the headlines on April 4, 1950, in the Gallup Independent. As a publicity stunt, Ralph Edwards had invited a town to change its name to "Truth or Consequences," the name of his popular radio quiz show, and Hot Springs agreed to do so. Since the late 1800s, the area has attracted health seekers to bathe in and drink from the area's hot mineral springs. The region is home to Elephant Butte Dam and lake, completed in 1916, which remains one of the largest irrigation dams in the United States. Carrie Tingley Crippled Children's Hospital, built in 1937 by New Mexico governor Clyde Tingley, utilized the natural hot mineral waters to treat children with polio. From the placement of the Hot Springs Bathhouse and Commercial District on the State and National Register of Historic Places to the centennial celebration of Elephant Butte Dam, Truth or Consequences continues to grow and develop while still honoring its heritage.

Around Aledo

9780738579115

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

In the mid-19th century, a few hardy settlers of European descent carved out farms in the Clear Fork Valley of present-day Parker County, attracted by the area's springs, tributaries, and a burgeoning market in nearby Fort Worth. For centuries, Comanche and Kiowa had inhabited the land, and a period of dramatic conflict ensued, exacerbated by the Civil War absence of able-bodied husbands and sons. By 1880, ranches and settlements flourished, aided by the Fort Worth-Yuma cattle trail and a Texas and Pacific Railway line connecting Fort Worth to the county seat of Weatherford. As the first mail stop in the newly formed county, Aledo was briefly dubbed Parker Station before having its name changed in 1882--a bow to a railroad engineer's Illinois hometown. Today segments of Bankhead Highway, the nation's first paved transcontinental highway, wind around Aledo, the Annettas, Willow Park, and Hudson Oaks, thriving communities that offer a pastoral lifestyle minutes from the urban amenities of the Fort Worth-Dallas Metroplex. Mere fragments remain of Newburg, Prairie Hill, Willow Springs, and other old settlements, visible only to old-timers and lost to living memory.

Fort Worth's Arlington Heights

9780738578934

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

On the prairie west of Fort Worth, British-born Humphrey Barker Chamberlin commissioned a model mansion, grand hotel, trolley line, lake, and waterworks in the early 1890s. He launched Chamberlin Arlington Heights as an opulent suburb reminiscent of his Capitol Hill enclave in Denver, then lost his overextended empire in the silver panic of 1893. Although several more well-to-do families established homes near those of the original "Heights pioneers," development progressed slowly. With the coming of World War I, local leaders persuaded the U.S. Army to build Camp Bowie across much of the sparsely settled area, providing infrastructure. A bungalow boom followed, with housing additions for the middle class and annexation by Fort Worth. As the 20th century drew to a close, preservationists sought protection for the legacy of built treasures within the neighborhood.

Aztec

9780738584959

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Aztec, New Mexico, is nestled in the Four Corners area of the United States and has a rich history beginning with the early Puebloan people. They built villages, irrigation canals, and roads--some of which became the Aztec Ruins National Monument. The town also has several buildings on the New Mexico Register of Cultural Properties and the National Register of Historic Places. The state's first commercial natural gas well was drilled here in 1921, and its influence continues today. An alleged UFO crash in 1948 led to an annual UFO symposium, and mountain bikers still flock to the annual Alien Run Mountain Bike competition. In 1963, Aztec was named an All-America City for the community's effort to build an 18-mile-long road to the Navajo Dam. The mountains are a short drive away, and the desert and Navajo Lake State Park make Aztec an ideal place to live and explore.

The North Shore of Lake Travis

9780738578675

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Change is just about the only constant in the area that is now the north shore of Lake Travis. The limestone, gravel, clay, and loam that make up the land have evolved under the influence of wind and the mighty floodwaters of the untamed Colorado River. Comanche Indians and other tribes lived here long before settlers arrived from back east. Land grants helped many pioneers settle in the area, and their descendents benefited from electricity brought here through the Rural Electric Administration. Gradually the rural farming and ranching community developed into incorporated cities with a state-of-the art education system. The Mansfield Dam transformed a small section of the Colorado River into Lake Travis and enabled fishing and water sports. In spite of this growth, however, the north shore of Lake Travis still retains its small-town feel. Change continues, and the flora and fauna, rocks and hills, and ranches and communities that make up this beautiful part of the hill country still draw people of all ages.

San Juan

9780738566818

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

In 1904, when the railroad completed its expansion westward from Brownsville through the Rio Grande Valley, small towns were aligning the tracks. Rich, fertile valley territory was attractive to new settlers during the early 1900s, and land developers promoted a place where one could buy a piece of the American dream. Around the same time, immigrants from south of the border were arriving with dreams of starting a new life away from the tumult of the Mexican Revolution. Situated at the crossroads of both rail and roadways, San Juan was the optimal place to settle. Rapid agricultural growth had in turn fostered community growth. As San Juan celebrates 100 years of vitality, this book reflects and recalls why this city was known as the "friendly city in the heart of the Rio Grande Valley."

Cimarrón and Philmont

9780738595276

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Situated where the High Plains meet the Rocky Mountains and where the Santa Fe Trail crosses the Cimarron River, the village of Cimarrón has a richly varied history. Spectacular rock columns, thick seams of coal, dinosaur footprints, pit houses, and petroglyphs echo an early geologic and human presence. Spanish explorers encountered area Native American settlements in the 1700s, and by the 1820s, mountain men roamed these Rockies while eastern merchants followed Indian trails to Santa Fe. By the 1860s, Cimarrón was the headquarters of a vast Mexican land grant managed by Lucien Maxwell and Kit Carson. A gristmill supplied local soldiers and Indians, and the discovery of gold attracted thousands. The Colfax County War erupted after speculators purchased the grant in 1870. When the railroad arrived in 1906, a "New Town" was built on the north side of the river. Today, through tourism and the Philmont Scout Ranch, the Cimarrón area offers a unique window into the history and growth of the West.

Rockwall

9780738558585

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Rockwall owes its name to a unique underground formation discovered by three men digging a well. In 1852, Terry Utley Wade, Benjamin Boydstun, and William Clay Stevenson exposed what they termed a "rock wall." When a city name was needed in 1854, Rockwall was chosen. In the 1880s, the railroad's arrival had a significant impact on the area and ushered in cotton as the main cash crop. Throughout the 1940s and 1950s, Rockwall was the epitome of small-town Texas: Yellow Jacket football on Friday nights, movies at the Ritz theatre on the square, lunch at the Mecca Café, milk shakes at Cunningham's Drugstore, and watching television through the front window of Payne's Appliances. Resting on the banks of Lake Ray Hubbard and sitting in Dallas's shadow, Rockwall is faced with the unique challenge of balancing rapid growth while maintaining its historic charm.

Glen Canyon Dam

9780738528755

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Constructed between 1956 and 1966 by the United States Bureau of Reclamation, Glen Canyon Dam on the Colorado River was a project of immense proportions. Even before the non-stop pouring of 5 million yards of concrete began, much work had to be accomplished. The town of Page, Arizona was established on a windswept mesa to house workers and their families, and the 1,028-foot Glen Canyon Bridge was built to carry men, materials, and equipment to the dam site. Though the dam has proven a controversial structure throughout its history, the massive undertaking of its construction was an undeniable triumph of ingenuity and determination.

Norman

9781467110488

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

On April 22, 1889, the federal government opened the unassigned lands in central Oklahoma for settlement. Entrepreneurs, cattlemen, and farmers, all seeking new opportunities, anxiously staked their claim to town lots and 160-acre homesteads. From their tents on Norman's Main Street, businessmen started to sell their wares. Tents soon gave way to wooden shacks and, finally, two-story brick buildings. By the beginning of the 20th century, Norman was a bustling frontier town that quickly matured into a trade center, a county seat, and a university town. In the 1940s, Norman became the home of the Naval Air Technical Training Center, a naval base constructed to train navy pilots and ground support crews for World War II.

Santa Fe

9781467133128

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Located in the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, Santa Fe was founded in 1608 by Spanish colonists and Franciscan missionaries who were searching for gold, arable land, and Indians to convert to Christianity. In the 400 years since, this mountain community has been the hub of Spanish colonialism in the New World, the terminus of the historic Santa Fe Trail, and since 1912, the state capital of New Mexico. It is America's third-oldest continuously inhabited, European-built community, surpassed in age only by St. Augustine, Florida, and Jamestown, Virginia. It is also the birthplace of Santa Fe style, a term used to describe the unique amalgamation of Indian, Spanish, and Anglo cultures that has strongly influenced the world of architecture and fashion since the 1960s and made the city one of America's most popular and recognizable tourist destinations.

The Bayous of Houston

9780738596129

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

When the Allen brothers were looking to establish a new city in 1836, they selected a site at the confluence of Buffalo Bayou and White Oak Bayou, which was the head of navigational waters. They named the city after Gen. Sam Houston, and ever since then, Houston and its bayous have been indelibly linked. With Buffalo Bayou as the lifeblood of the city, Houston thrived as an inland port. Early development occurred along the bayou, and it was widened, deepened, and straightened to accommodate growing commerce in Texas. Buffalo Bayou linked the city of Houston to Galveston Bay, where ships were waiting to share Texas products with the rest of the world. Today, with Houston as the largest city in the state of Texas and the fourth largest in the United States, the Port of Houston is one of the busiest ports in the world.

Grand Canyon Pioneer Cemetery

9781467132237

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

One of the most historically significant places at the Grand Canyon, yet one of the least known, is the Grand Canyon Pioneer Cemetery. Very few national parks have an active burial ground, but the pioneers who rest here represent all walks of life throughout the canyon's history. Pioneer Cemetery is the final resting place for miners, businessmen, park superintendents, rangers, mule wranglers, and even some local characters. Legendary residents of the Grand Canyon, including John Hance, Pete Berry, Ralph Cameron, William Wallace Bass, and the Kolb brothers are also buried onsite, secluded in a beautiful grove of pine trees. It is an area of the Grand Canyon that is seldom written about or discussed.

Arlington

9780738579818

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Historians dispute the founding of Arlington. Some say Arlington started in 1848 when Col. Middleton Tate Johnson started the settlement called Johnson's Station, a forerunner of Arlington. Others say it was 1876, when the railroad arrived, or 1877, when the post office was established. Still others claim 1884 as the founding, because that was when city leaders incorporated Arlington, naming the town after the home of Gen. Robert E. Lee. Whatever date one chooses for the founding, there is no question that Arlington has grown from its frontier origins into the entertainment center of North Texas. Highlights of Arlington's development include Depression-era gambling at Top O' Hill and Arlington Downs, Progressive values in the Berachah Home for Erring Girls, higher education through the University of Texas at Arlington, and economic expansion with General Motors. More recently, energetic citizens like former mayor Tommy Vandergriff helped bring two professional sports teams to Arlington. Today the Texas Rangers and Dallas Cowboys share top billing with the city's other signature attractions--Six Flags Over Texas and Hurricane Harbor.

Bullhead City

9781467132466

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Bullhead City, situated on the east bank of the Colorado River in the Mojave Desert, is built upon the historical site of Hardyville, founded in 1864 by William H. Hardy. Hardyville was a frontier outpost that flourished for 19 years with a ferry service, trading post, and toll road that extended east to Prescott, Arizona. Gold and silver had been discovered in the mid-1800s, and commerce was thriving as steamboats transporting freight and passengers plied the river. By the 1920s, a series of dams was planned to harness the power of the Colorado River, but work on Davis Dam wasn't started until 1942 and was then delayed until after World War II. Bullhead City evolved after Davis Dam was completed in 1953. Many of the workers who built the dam stayed on, and in the 1960s, land developers promoting the river as a recreational destination made Bullhead a boomtown. Bullhead City was incorporated in 1984.

Kermit

9780738584546

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Well known for its oil and gas production, Kermit was originally founded by ranchers needing a supply hub in an isolated area of West Texas. An 1876 campaign by Col. Ranald S. Mackenzie helped rid the area of Comanche Indians. Prompted by the state's policy for free use of its land, ranchers quickly moved in. This population growth resulted in the establishment of Winkler County in 1887. Competition between nearby towns for the title of county seat lasted until 1910, when Kermit's offer of free lots won it the designation. Though the town later experienced a drought, which severely crippled the population, the discovery of oil on ranchland owned by Thomas G. and Ada Hendrick in 1926 helped the town boom. Today, Kermit's economy is sustained by ranching and oil and gas production.

Seminole

9780738585390

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Seminole got its name from former slaves who escaped Southern plantations in the early 1800s and fled to the swamps of Florida. They lived alongside Seminole Indians and later came to be known as Black Seminoles. Renowned for excellent tracking abilities, they eventually served as guides for the Shafter expedition to West Texas in the mid-1870s, which opened the region. In a shallow draw on the prairie, the Black Seminoles discovered water wells dug by the Comanche. The "Seminole Wells" demonstrated the area's livability. Settlers arrived a few decades later, and by 1905, Gaines County and its county seat were established. This small town became Seminole. Ranching was the area's first industry, but it was eclipsed in the 1920s with the discovery of oil. Today, Seminole is a thriving multicultural farming and oil-producing center with excellent schools, a booming economy, and the friendliest people around.

Keller

9780738579467

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

In the late 1800s, pioneers settled in the northeast Texas region of Cross Timbers known as Double Springs. In 1875, Isaac Roberts, a farmer who owned more than 600 acres, left a parcel of his land to A. G. Roberts, who then sold the right-of-way to the Texas and Pacific Railway for $25. A new town was formed, and in 1882, it was named Keller in honor of the railroad foreman who was instrumental in making the area a regular stop along the railroad. With the railroad bringing new visitors and residents, a post office was created in 1888, and new businesses started forming. The Works Progress Administration provided jobs for many Keller residents during the Great Depression, and the results of those projects shaped the way the city looks today. As of 2010, Old Town Keller was undergoing a new phase of revitalization while maintaining its connection to the hardy pioneers that once called Keller home.

Wagoner

9781467114271

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Wagoner, the first city incorporated in Indian Territory, was established in 1896 on the dividing line of the Cherokee and Creek Nations and at the intersection of the Missouri–Kansas–Texas Railway and the Kansas & Arkansas Railway. For the first half of the 20th century, Wagoner's economy was driven by agriculture, and it became known as the Queen City of the Prairies. In the 1950s, when the Grand Neosho River was turned into Fort Gibson Lake, the door opened for the establishment of a number of resort enterprises. Wagoner has thrived as a visitors' destination ever since. Today, the only remaining evidence of the earliest civilization is the Norman Site—a small island slightly north of Highway 51 and east of Wagoner at Taylor Ferry—which is home to some of Oklahoma's most prominent Indian mounds.

The Bolivar Peninsula

9781467133869

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

The Bolivar Peninsula is a quirky coastal community consisting of Port Bolivar, Crystal Beach, Caplen, Gilchrist, and High Island. "The peninsula," as locals call it, is a 27-mile-long barrier formation. Bounded on one side by the Gulf of Mexico and on the other by the Intracoastal Waterway, it is a short ferry ride from Galveston, Texas. The history of the peninsula includes filibusterers, pirates, fierce natives, and headstrong settlers. A spirit of independence survives to this day, providing a continuation of the story of this unique landmass and its people. An unlikely conglomeration of cowboys and farmers, third- and fourth-generation landowners, retired executives and professors, fishermen, shrimpers, and birding enthusiasts comes together with weekenders and tourists to enjoy the beauty and bounty of the Gulf Coast. Its beautiful setting and wild, storied past make the Bolivar Peninsula a fascinating place to explore.

Denton

9780738578545

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Founded in 1857 as the fourth county seat of Denton County, the city of Denton is situated at the top of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex triangle. After the first trains from the Texas and Pacific Railroad and the Missouri, Kansas, and Texas Railway (the Katy) rolled into town in 1881, Denton developed from a frontier community into a vibrant city. Establishing itself as a center of education in 1890 with the founding of the Texas Normal College and Teacher Training Institute (now the University of North Texas), the creation of the Girls' Industrial College (now Texas Woman's University) in 1901 further enhanced this image. The city's 150-year history, forged by so many talented people, has provided a strong foundation for its growing economic environment. Today Denton's community spirit resonates through the energy of the city's many diverse events and its lively music scene.

Austin's Montopolis Neighborhood

9781467131766

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Montopolis is a multiethnic neighborhood located approximately four miles southeast of downtown Austin. The area was long visited and occasionally occupied by various Texas Indian nations; the first documented European or American to settle here was Jessie C. Tannehill, who in 1830 built a cabin and townsite and gave the new community its pretentious name. Instead of establishing a permanent presence in Montopolis, however, subsequent European colonizers looked a few miles upriver to the new settlement of Waterloo, later to be called Austin. Rural and sparsely populated, the remainder of the 19th century saw the Montopolis area used primarily for plantation agriculture. In the 1920s, succeeding waves of Mexican migrants helped establish the modern neighborhood that exists today. Between the 1950s and 1970s, the City of Austin annexed Montopolis, although the area retains much of its rural character.

Prescott Fire Department

9781467131780

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Founded in 1885, the Prescott Fire Department began with four 25-man volunteer companies, the Dudes, the Toughs, the Mechanics Hook & Ladders, and the O.K.s. These 100 men reflected both the common man and the leaders of the region. Over the years, their numbers would include governors-to-be F.A. Tritle and Thomas Campbell, business leaders H.D. Aitken and A.A. "Tony" Johns, and numerous members of the Goldwater family. The department and its community survived the great fire of July 14, 1900, as well as the loss of 19 of its own Granite Mountain Hotshots on June 30, 2013. The Prescott Fire Department would go from a volunteer department to a fully paid department of 80 firefighters, operating out of five stations and covering an area of 40 square miles.

Around Aldine

9781467109161

$23.99 $17.99 Save 25%

Straddling a major railroad with plenty of open prairie, 1890s Aldine offered an ideal real estate development to enterprising land agent Ferris Colby. Colby platted a townsite and marketed acreage to Northerners looking for a warmer climate. Advertisements by Colby, as well as Eugene Robertson, touted Aldine's agricultural potential. Satsuma oranges and magnolia figs provided early cash crops. Entrepreneur John Carpenter started a fig canning factory after winning a silver medal for preserved figs at the 1904 World's Fair. The orange and fig orchards failed by 1920, however, and local farmers switched to produce and dairying. In the early 1960s, the automobile and new freeways opened Aldine to suburban development. Houses, apartments, retail centers, and even a major airport replaced the farms and dairies, changing Aldine from a rural outpost to an almost indistinguishable part of Houston's near-endless urban sprawl.

Galveston Seawall Chronicles

9781467137898

$21.99 $16.49 Save 25%

Along Galveston's Gulf Coast runs a seventeen-foot-high, ten-mile-long protective barrier—a response to the nation's all-time deadliest natural disaster. The seawall remains a stoic protector more than a century later, shielding the island from much more than physical destruction. As the foundation of Seawall Boulevard, this structure created an entirely new tourism industry that buoyed the city's economy through war, the Great Depression and hurricanes. Adapting to the cultural trends and political movements that defined the past century, the seawall represents the unbreakable spirit of Galveston's resilient population and provides a fascinating glimpse into bygone times.

Cover image for Galveston Seawall Chronicles, isbn: 9781467137898

Flatonia

9781467128698

$23.99 $17.99 Save 25%

Flatonia owes its place on the map to the railroad and its name to German immigrant and entrepreneur F.W. Flato. The Galveston, Harrisburg & San Antonio Railway first traversed southwestern Fayette County in 1874. Inexpensive land along the line attracted farmers and ranchers, and new shipping and trade opportunities enticed merchants. Immigrants of German and Czech origins mingled with Mexican Americans, African Americans, and transplants from the Southeastern United States. These diverse groups were known to brawl one minute and unite in a common cause the next. Flatonia's survival has depended upon its ability to adapt while honoring its heritage. As rail service declined, a location on the coast-to-coast Old Spanish Trail (US Highway 90) provided a steady flow of automobile traffic. Cotton disappeared, but cattle and egg production remained strong. The buildings of the Flatonia Commercial Historic District still retain their late-19th- to early-20th-century charm, earning distinction in the National Register of Historic Places.

Early Settlers of the Panhandle Plains

9781467130684

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

The panhandle plains were Texas's last frontier, barren lands populated by hostile Comanche and outlaws attempting to outrun civilization. It was Texas Ranger and frontier scout Jim Jackson who first saw potential in the region. Jackson accompanied Col. Ranald Mackenzie into unsettled Kent County in 1875. He climbed a mountain at Polar to witness a sea of tall grass and a good stream of water. This was good news for Jackson's friends and relatives in Coleman County. Many chose to leave the crowded range and move their cattle herds west. Those who answered the call of the wild were Elkins, Mann, Brown, Overall, Sharp, Wallace, and a host of others. They were the point riders who took the challenge of opening Kent, Garza, Crosby, Lynn, Borden, Dawson, Mitchell, Fisher, Scurry, Stonewall, and Nolan Counties to permanent settlement.

Carrollton

9780738556376

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Over 160 years ago, bear and buffalo roamed the prairie and Wichita Indians camped on the banks of the Elm Fork of the Trinity River. Settlers from places like Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, and as far away as England and Ireland began arriving in North Texas. Texas was not yet a part of the United States when Sam Houston, as president of the Republic of Texas, entered into an agreement with the Peters Colony Company to attract settlers to the area with the promise of free land. Carrollton likely received its name from one of these groups that emigrated from Carrollton, Illinois. The city grew as it became a railroad hub and later transitioned from a rural community to a prosperous Dallas suburb. In 1976, the city participated in many national bicentennial celebrations, and volunteers restored and opened a museum to honor its rural beginnings and courageous settlers.

Cover image for Carrollton, isbn: 9780738556376

Tucson Mountains

9780738579238

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

The Tucson Mountains are located several miles west of downtown Tucson. For thousands of years, this mountain range has been inhabited, explored, and traveled by Native Americans who settled near the Santa Cruz River. Homesteaders, prospectors, and ranchers arrived in the late 19th century, drawn by the area's close proximity to Tucson and the Southern Pacific Railroad, as well as the promise of land and mineral wealth. During the past 100 years, conservation efforts to preserve and enhance the community's understanding of this geologic treasure have led to the establishment of museums and parks, including Tucson Mountain Park, the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, and Saguaro National Park West. Old Tucson Studios has used the surrounding Tucson Mountains as a movie backdrop for more than 70 years. The White Stallion Ranch and the J. W. Marriot at Starr Pass make the Tucson Mountains a popular destination for visitors who want to experience the rugged beauty and character of the American Southwest.

Pearce and Sunsites

9780738584737

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Discovery of gold in 1895 brought fortune seekers to the Sulphur Springs Valley, once the stomping ground of Cochise and Geronimo. A lawman turned train robber, an Arizona Ranger murdered by his wife, and a famous artist were just a few of the people who settled in Pearce. The Commonwealth Mine provided resources for a flourishing community until the Depression and the mine's decline. In the early 1960s, the Horizon Corporation began marketing Valley land as a utopian retirement destination for the World War II generation. Bit by bit, Sunsites sprang up just 2 miles from sparsely populated Pearce. Today the residents of Pearce and Sunsites share amenities, a quiet lifestyle, and views of the spectacular Chiricahua and Dragoon mountain ranges.

Round Rock

9780738556413

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Named for a distinctive rock formation that marks a natural, picturesque ford, Round Rock is a reflection of the past. Nomadic people lived here for countless ages, leaving clues of their existence for future generations. Explorers and frontier travelers visited the area bounded by rolling hills to the west and fertile fields to the east. The location became a permanent name on the map when settlers made the site their home in 1851. These pioneers established the traditions that defined the community. Positioned near the state capital, Round Rock has prospered through transportation and commerce. Horseback paths, stagecoach routes, military roads, and cattle trails have yielded to railroads and highways. Within a few generations, the community once known for education and agriculture is now equally renowned for technology and trade. A common thread through it all has been the citizens' pride of place in their hometown. This is the story of a once-quiet village that evolved into a vibrant city.

Hidden History of Tulsa

9781626195790

$21.99 $16.49 Save 25%

The story of Tulsa's transformation from a nineteenth-century cow town into the Oil Capital of the World has been above ground for years, but a great reservoir of Tulsey Town's heritage has remained beneath the surface. These neglected tales include the dirigible flyover of 1929, the Hominy Indians' victory over the New York Giants and the legendary final performance of Spade Cooley, convicted killer and the self-proclaimed King of Western Swing. From the horrors of the city's early race riot and the proud legacy of Greenwood (aka Little Africa or Black Wall Street) to Tulsa's iconic landmarks and unforgettable personalities, Steve Gerkin provides an evocative and enjoyable voyage through T-Town's hidden history.

Cover image for Hidden History of Tulsa, isbn: 9781626195790

Chandler

9780738585215

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Chandler is located 20 miles southeast of Phoenix and has been the home of innovative, forward-thinking people for many decades. As Phoenix began to grow in the late 19th century, a young veterinarian decided to aquire several acres of the surrounding land. Dr. Alexander J. Chandler took a few business gambles with his new acquisition, and the 18,000 acres known then as Chandler Ranch were soon split into lots and sold as the new town of Chandler. Once the town was established in 1912, Dr. Chandler relied on industrial agriculture and the new, lavish San Marcos Hotel to attract new residents. Later, Dr. Chandler brought Frank Lloyd Wright to redesign downtown and build a new hotel. During World War II, several families and businesses came to the area because of the new Williams Air Force Base. Following the war, high-tech businesses and bioscience firms created a new economy in Chandler, which led to a modern patchwork of people who represent Chandler today.

Texas Singularities

9781467140867

$21.99 $16.49 Save 25%

Texas, that most singular of states, conceals an entire parade of peculiar events and exceptional people in the back pages of its history books. A Lone Star man once (and only once) tried to bulldog a steer from an airplane. One small Texas town was attacked by the Japanese, while another was “liberated” from America during the Cold War. Texan career choices include goat gland doctor, rubbing doctor, striking cowboy and singing cowboy, not to mention swatter, tangler and dunker. From gunslinger Sally Skull to would-be rainmaker R.G. Dyrenforth, Clay Coppedge collects the distinctive odds and ends of Texan lore.

Cover image for Texas Singularities, isbn: 9781467140867

Pontotoc County

9780738590547

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Pontotoc County, located in South Central Oklahoma, is one of the smaller counties in the state. The word pontotoc roughly translates to a Native American phrase meaning "cattails growing on the prairie." Dotted with many communities, some booming and others slowly disappearing, Pontotoc County is rich with history. This county was the epitome of the Old West at its most raw and dangerous. Pontotoc's lowest moment came on April 19, 1909, when a band of unknown Ada citizens made one of the most infamous decisions in American history and hanged four men without a trial. The modern consensus is that Ada, the county seat, became the horizon on which the sunset of the Old West was witnessed. Today, Pontotoc County is home to the Robert S. Kerr Environmental Research Center, the corporate headquarters of Pre-Paid Legal Services, Holcim Inc., Tornado Alley Turbo, and the Chickasaw Nation Headquarters. This thriving county has much to offer--not only to the United States, but also to the world.

Fort Stockton

9780738584942

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

In 1859, the US military established Fort Stockton to gain control of Comanche Springs, which formed an oasis in the midst of arid West Texas. In the town that grew up beside the fort, a colorful mix of hardy pioneers--Peter Gallagher, Cesario Torres, Frank Rooney, Father Jose Ferra, Annie Frazier Johnson Riggs, and others--struggled (and sometimes fought) to construct a viable farming and ranching community in the vast, isolated terrain of Pecos County. Later, railroads, highways, air bases, oil, natural gas, and wind farms joined water as forces shaping the city's history. A century and a half after its founding, Fort Stockton is an innovative city with high-tech dreams, yet the traces and tales of its Old West heritage remain vividly alive along the banks of Comanche Creek.

Sierra County

9781467128568

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

In 1884, Sierra County was formed in the Middle Rio Grande Corridor of the New Mexico Territory out of the existing counties of Grant, Doña Ana, and Socorro. Not everyone was pleased with the new county, and the courthouse was said to look like a dance hall. From the fortunes and misfortunes of the miners in the historical towns of the Black Range to the comings and goings of the railroad towns, Sierra County is rich in history. The town of Hot Springs (later renamed Truth or Consequences) came into existence when entrepreneurs decided that the naturally occurring mineral springs could cure arthritis, neuritis, rheumatism, and alcoholism. The Carrie Tingley Hospital for Crippled Children, built to take advantage of the natural warm springs to help in the treatment of polio, is now the current New Mexico State Veterans' Home. Sierra County is also home to Elephant Butte Dam and Caballo Dam, both of which have history with the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) camps.

Cover image for Sierra County, isbn: 9781467128568

Forgotten Tales of Texas

9781609492687

$21.99 $16.49 Save 25%

From El Chupacabra to the Marx Brothers, Clay Coppedge has a talent for digging into Texas's most unusual history. Strange as they may seem, many of these Texas-sized legends are surprisingly true, like Pancho Villa's film contract and the notorious Crash at Crush, a staged train collision and failed publicity stunt that turned tragic outside of Katy. Whether fact or lore, each tale is irrefutably part of a unique and fascinating heritage that invigorates the spirit like a Texas frontier remedy.

The Galisteo Basin and Cerrillos Hills

9781467127189

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

The Galisteo Basin and the Cerrillos Hills, an ancient seabed ringed by ancient volcanic upheavals, are located in Central New Mexico. The region has been occupied for thousands of years. The oldest known turquoise mines in North America, as well as the earliest significant gold strike in North America, can be found in this region. The town of Galisteo was founded in 1617, while Los Cerrillos got its start as a railroad stop and regional center in 1880. Archaeological work on eight major Pueblo ruins was initiated in 1912 by Nels Nelson of the American Museum of Natural History. Many photographs from his expedition are found in this book, with several of them never having been published before. Also included are images of Cerrillos Hills mining in 1880; again, some of these photographs have never been previously published.

Rockdale

9780738585062

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Rockdale was first established as a railroad town in Milam County in 1874. Milam County was carved from the extensive Robertson's Colony in 1852, and it flourished with immigrants eager to move on after the Civil War severed the nation. For many, Rockdale was an easy choice for a new home because it was the end of the line. The fertile land, pleasant climate, and ample water attracted settlers, many of whom were of German, Czech, and Wendish descent. The presence of large deposits of lignite brought mining onto the scene in the early 1900s. From 1954 until 2009, the Aluminum Company of America operated a large plant that was six miles from Rockdale, which further changed the economy. The settlers were by no means the first humans to inhabit this land.

Beaver County

9780738583501

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Beaver County's unique history is reflected in the five flags that once flew as claim to the area, as well as in the fact that for 70 years the land between the 100th and 103rd meridians and between 36?30' and the 37th parallels belonged to no territory, state, or nation--hence the name "No Man's Land." Spanish explorer Francisco Vásquez de Coronado traveled through the west central part of the area on his return to Mexico from his hunt for the Seven Cities of Cibola. Later ranchers, cattle, and freight trails brought permanent settlements. In 1903, homesteaders, sometimes called "punkin rollers," began to stake claims, build sod houses, and become permanent residents long before there was any law and order, since no government existed.

Matagorda County

9780738556406

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Matagorda County is centered in the Texas Coastal Bend at the crossroads of the Colorado River and the Gulf of Mexico. The name Matagorda, Spanish for thick brush, was derived from the canebrakes that formerly lined the extensive shoreline. This vast coastal prairie is rich in history and tradition, with its roots dating back to 1685 when the explorer LaSalle sailed into Matagorda Bay. Later Stephen F. Austin used the seaports of Matagorda and Brazoria to build his new colony. The Gulf of Mexico, the rivers, the rich agricultural soil, the natural habitat full of wild game and birds, and the determined spirit of the people make the cities of Bay City, Palacios, Blessing, Sargent, and Matagorda an exquisite mix of history and tradition.

Cover image for Matagorda County, isbn: 9780738556406

Lost Fort Worth

9781626192355

$21.99 $16.49 Save 25%

From the humble beginnings of a frontier army camp, Fort Worth transformed into a city as cattle drives, railroads, oil and national defense drove its economy. During the tremendous growth, the landscape and cultural imprint of the city changed drastically, and much of Cowtown was lost to history. Witness the birth of western swing music and the death of a cloud dancer. See mansions of the well-heeled and saloons of the well-armed. Meet two gunfighters, one flamboyant preacher, one serial killer and one very short subway carrying passengers back in time to discover more of Fort Worth. Author Mike Nichols presents a colorful history tour from the North Side to the South Side's Battle of Buttermilk Junction.

Cover image for Lost Fort Worth, isbn: 9781626192355

Henderson

9781467132510

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

One of the oldest towns in Texas, Henderson--founded in 1843--is situated in the rolling green hills and pine forests of East Texas. Named for the state's first governor, James P. Henderson, the town is the seat of Rusk County. Henderson's fertile land and abundant stores of clay were enjoyed for centuries by Caddo Indians and other indigenous people; after settlement by Anglos, beginning in the 1830s, the area became known for cotton plantations. More Old South than Old West, Henderson might have had spectacular growth if the planned Galveston, Houston & Henderson Railroad had come to fruition. When that did not happen, Henderson relied on an economy based on cotton, farming, and logging until the Great East Texas Oilfield was discovered in 1930 just a few miles west. Oil, and later the commercial production of bricks, paved the way for a brighter future for the town, which today is still partially sustained by the riches of the earth through lignite production. Generations of hardworking men and women have called Henderson home, and the town today enjoys a revitalized town square filled with shops and restaurants.

Around Terlingua

9781467132015

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

The origin of the name "Terlingua" is obscure and lost in time. For the past century and a half, the area covered by the name has expanded to include numerous concentrations of people engaged to varying degrees in ranching, farming, and mining, or the support thereof. Farmers and ranchers produced agricultural products, woodcutters supplied timbers for the mines or fuel for the furnaces, and storekeepers supplied the goods needed for sustenance of this diverse community that was spread over much of south Brewster County in West Texas. Hispanic people who began settling the region in the 18th century were the backbone of the mining industry. Many of the families here today are descendants of the mine workers and continue contributing to the community. This story tells of the establishment and abandonment of Terlingua following the rise and decline in demand for mercury and how the ghost town was resurrected in the 20th century.

Sapulpa

9781467125598

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Sapulpa is named after a young Creek Indian who came to the area around 1840 and opened a trading post near Pole Cat Creek. Sapulpa's arrival in Indian Territory was independent of the famed "Trail of Tears," a term used for the federal government's forced removal of Creek (Muskogee) and other tribes from their southern homelands in the 1830s. The area that would become the Creek Nation is a small part of the land acquired by the United States after the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. At one time, Spain, England, and France each laid claim to Oklahoma. Trails, rails, and oil; bricks, clay, and glass; and streetcars, highways, and automobiles are all parts of the historic community of Sapulpa. The diverse people who came to the area--Indians, cowboys, railroaders, settlers, loggers, farmers, wildcatters, oilmen, businessmen, manufacturers, workers, and dreamers--recorded the town's story, as captured in photographs, beginning more than a century ago. Sapulpa was and remains a crossroads in more ways than one.

Artesia

9780738576282

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Before New Mexico became a state in 1912, hardy pioneers had already established the village of Miller, known today as Artesia, on the dusty southeastern plains of the territory. Abundant artesian wells and, later, oil wells drew settlers from far and wide to make a living and a home in Artesia. As with any town, Artesia has evolved and changed throughout the years; businesses have come and gone, while the love for Bulldog sports still attracts the young and old. Today, Artesia continues to grow as the community takes pride in preserving and displaying the history of the town. Artesia captures this story in photographs, tracing the growth of Miller to Stegman to Artesia.

Grapevine

9780738584638

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

The town of Grapevine was formed when a small group of pioneers settled together on the Grape Vine Prairie in the 1840s and 1850s. The first settlers came for the promise of land ownership and a better life, and the Grape Vine Springs and rich soil yielded good harvests and subsequent prosperity. When the Cotton Belt Railroad arrived in 1888, it helped establish the town as a permanent agricultural trade center servicing the entire region. The Civil War and World Wars I and II interrupted the town's normal activities, but the citizens rallied in support of their state and country. Two major construction projects in the 1950s and 1960s transformed the future of Grapevine: the Grapevine Dam and Reservoir and the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. In the 1970s, local historians realized the wealth within the city's past, and leaders took steps to protect and preserve it so that today people from all over the world come to see this quaint little prairie town.

Belen

9781467130530

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

In 1740, a group of Hispanic families, seeking new cultivatable land, received a grant of more than 200,000 acres from the governor of Spanish New Mexico. In 1793, a church was built in the Belen Old Town Plaza under the direction of Franciscan priests. An agricultural community was formed around several plazas, and residents prospered through barter and subsistence farming. In the 1850s and 1860s, German immigrants joined Hispanic merchants to form a vibrant business community. The Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad arrived in Belen in the 1880s, and the nearby "Belen Cutoff" in 1908 linked both north-south and east-west rail lines to give Belen the nickname of the "Hub City." Today, more than 100 trains travel through the Belen rail yard daily.

The Nogal Mesa

9781609491314

$21.99 $16.49 Save 25%

This book was a finalist for the New Mexico Book Co-Op History Book of the Year. Most people think of Billy the Kid and the Lincoln County War when Lincoln County, New Mexico is mentioned. "Yet, the county has a rich history besides that chapter of lawlessness and violence. In writing this book I wanted to tell the story of the miners and forest rangers and the Civilian Conservation Corps and early settlers."The Jornada Mogollon culture was here over a thousand years ago but had left before Christopher Columbus arrived in the new world. "They have left pieces of their lifestyle in the form of pueblos and pottery. "A railroad was built in the basin below the Mesa, but the water there was full of alkaline and chemicals. "The Mesa had pristine mountain water and an engineering miracle was built in the form of a pipeline to get the water from the Mesa to the railroad. "A western religious revival in the form of the Ranchman's Camp continues this summer for the 71st year.

Cover image for The Nogal Mesa, isbn: 9781609491314

Helotes

9780738579443

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

A small town with a big history, Helotes--20 miles northwest of downtown San Antonio--was named for the Spanish word elotes, or corn on the cob. So extensive were the fields of corn along its namesake creek, a Spanish official in 1723 called the area el Puerto de los Olotes, or Corncob Pass. When settlers later arrived, few ancient cornfields remained. Situated along Bandera Road, the town became a stagecoach stop, and a post office was established in 1873. Nevertheless, the settlement remained rural for the next 100 years. Helotes, known as a place to "let down yer hair and kick up yer heels," solidified its reputation in 1946, when John T. Floore Country Store, a dance hall and concert venue for top-rated country musicians, opened for business in downtown Helotes. The annual Cornyval Festival, inaugurated in 1966, continues this tradition. Incorporated in 1981, the town provides a verdant and hilly escape from the city.

Early Woods County

9780738583105

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Woods County, Oklahoma, is showcased in images dating from 1894 to statehood in 1907. This time span covers the period of early settlement and the hardships of pioneers in a new territory. It includes the growth from a wide-open prairie to the beginnings of small towns and school districts, from mostly one-room schoolhouses to the Normal School for higher education, known today as Northwestern Oklahoma State University. People from all walks of life came to the Cherokee Outlet before the land run of 1893 and after. Those frontier inhabitants suddenly found themselves nearly alone on the wide expanse of prairie unbroken by a single building and with almost no trees. Early settlers came from across the country and even from across the ocean, many with nothing but the clothes on their backs and hope. These new residents carved out a living and made Woods County what it is today.

Buckeye

9780738548890

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

The town of Buckeye--located in the Valley of the Sun, just 35 miles west of Phoenix--was founded in 1888 following the completion of a 10mile irrigation canal in 1886. Throughout the 20th century, this farming community grew as residents established businesses, built churches, raised families, and worked together to carve a home out of the desert. The coming of the Arizona Eastern Railroad in 1910 was so significant that the town's business district was moved to accommodate the location of the railroad station. And as a result, Buckeye boomed. By 2005, with a population over 35,000, the town again faced significant change as the old cotton fields were replaced by housing developments. Though ever changing, the future remains bright for Buckeye, and its heritage remains a valuable treasure for residents, both old and new.

Tulsa Christmas Parade

9781467127998

$7.99 $5.99 Save 25%

Tulsa, Oklahoma boasts a rich history of Christmas parades dating back to 1926. In this collection of fifteen vintage-photograph postcards, Jessica R. Gullo explores the history and tradition of these parades.

Cover image for Tulsa Christmas Parade, isbn: 9781467127998

Will Rogers Coliseum

9780738585482

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Few buildings in Fort Worth are more iconic than the Will Rogers Coliseum and Auditorium. Built in 1936 as a part of the Texas Centennial celebrations, it stands as a tribute to the spirit of patriotism and pride with which it was constructed and to the optimism that it represented. The list of events that have been held at this venue includes World War II bond drives, Golden Gloves boxing competitions, the symphony, the opera, rock concerts, high school graduations, the Ice Capades, evangelical gatherings, and, of course, the Fort Worth Stock Show. As each decade passes, new demands challenge the role the complex may serve in the future. It is hoped that this book will contribute in some small way to the preservation of this amazing structure.

North Texas State Fair and Rodeo

9781467134934

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

The predecessor to the North Texas State Fair and Rodeo was reported in the October 15, 1885, Denton Doings as consisting of horse races sponsored by the Denton County Fair and Blooded Stock Association (DCFBSA). The next mention was 1890, when the association stockholders had the opportunity to purchase shares of the fairgrounds, thus ending the fair until five years later. The DCFBSA was reorganized in 1895 to host a fair and horse race near North Texas Normal College. The next race was held in 1896, and the association was incorporated. The fair has operated continuously since except for the years during World War II. These early events evolved into one of the largest fairs and rodeos in Texas, drawing more than 150,000 fairgoers annually.

Cover image for North Texas State Fair and Rodeo, isbn: 9781467134934

San Antonio's Historic Architecture

9781467134835

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Spanish colonial missionary settlements established San Antonio as a junction between Mexico and the developing United States in the early 1700s. Because of its remote location amid both countries and its great distance from other cities, San Antonio became a crossroads for commerce, industry, and strategic military position on the wild frontier. Texas independence and the admission of Texas into the United States in the 19th century established a diverse cultural population and distinctive architecture that remains historically significant across the nation as it continues to gain attention on the world stage. The appreciation of historic architecture among its citizens has enabled San Antonio to retain a remarkably large catalog of important historic structures, which are often saved from destruction through relocation. Three centuries of steady growth, from 1700 to 2000, has resulted in an abundance of buildings that has generated a local legacy of multigenerational artisans and skilled craftsmen.

Cover image for San Antonio's Historic Architecture, isbn: 9781467134835

Sanatoriums of New Mexico

9781467131322

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Tuberculosis, also known as consumption, the White Plague, or simply TB, was the number-one killer in the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Many physicians of the era advised their patients to chase the cure for tuberculosis in the Southwest, where the region's clean, dry, fresh air, high altitude, and sunshine offered relief for most and recovery for some. New Mexico, called the well country, was particularly eager to promote itself as a mecca for lungers with the coming of the railroad to the territory in 1880 and the creation of many new hospitals, known as sanitariums or sanatoriums (sans), which specialized in the treatment of TB. This is a brief history of New Mexico's sans, their patients, and the doctors, nurses, and staff who served them during the golden age of the TB industry, from the turn of the 20th century to the eve of World War II.

Cover image for Sanatoriums of New Mexico, isbn: 9781467131322

South Plains Army Airfield

9781467131339

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

South Plains Army Airfield in Lubbock, Texas, was a major training base for US Army Air Force glider pilots during World War II. Approximately 80 percent of the roughly 6,000 pilots trained to fly the combat cargo glider received their advanced training and were awarded their "G" Wings at SPAAF, as it was known. The base was conceived, built, used, and then closed in a short five-year period during World War II. Today, little remains to remind one of the feverish and important military training program that once took place on the flat, featureless South Plains of Texas. During World War II, American military strategy and tactics included a significant airborne component. Major invasions, such as D-Day at Normandy, were preceded by huge aerial fleets carrying paratroopers and their equipment. These airborne invasion fleets sometimes exceeded well over 1,000 Allied gliders. The American airborne forces depended upon an ungainly looking aircraft, the CG-4A glider, to carry the vehicles, munitions, and reinforcements needed to survive. The pilots who flew them learned their trade at South Plains Army Airfield.

Unforgettable Texans

9781467137737

$21.99 $16.49 Save 25%

History books burst at the seams with stories about Houston, Travis, Crockett and other icons of Texas history. Yet many of the Lone Star State's fascinating figures—well known in life but forgotten in death—remain obscure by omission. This scintillating company includes a World War I spy who became a movie star, the first gringo matador, a West Texas tent showman and the husband-and-wife trick-shot act that amazed audiences for forty years. Some characters cut across the common narrative, like the admiral whose advice might have prevented the attack on Pearl Harbor, the one and only Republican congressman in the first half of the twentieth century, the Klansman Texans elected to the U.S. Senate and the businessman who wrote the longest English-language novel in complete secrecy. Popular columnist and author Bartee Haile brings to life some of the most intriguing Texans who ever slipped through the cracks of history.

Cover image for Unforgettable Texans, isbn: 9781467137737

Evolution of the Texas Plains

9781467154017

$23.99 $17.99 Save 25%

Accept an invitation to the boundary-pushing heritage of the Texas Plains, from the first American Thanksgiving feast in the 1500s to Amarillo’s iconic seventy-two-ounce steak challenge five hundred years later. Even the limitless horizons of the Panhandle couldn’t contain the notes of musical pioneers like Mac Davis, Bobby Keys and the Velvets. Take a dip in Lubbock’s oldest swimming hole or share a sip with Pinkie Roden, the benevolent bootlegger of West Texas. Keep an eye out for longballs from Justiceburg’s “Stormin’ Norman” Cash and stray bats in Doodlebug Line’s Clarity Tunnel. Join Chuck Lanehart as he tracks the long-standing traditions and unexpected twists of life on the Texas Plains.

Arizona State Museum

9781467131629

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

In 1893, nineteen years before statehood, the first anthropology museum in the Arizona Territory was created on the campus of the fledgling University of Arizona. Located in the small desert city of Tucson and originally occupying a single room, what was first called the Arizona Territorial Museum had one part-time curator and has steadily grown over the last 120 years. Dedicated to the archaeology, history, culture, and arts of the peoples of Arizona and the Southwest, the Arizona State Museum is the oldest and largest anthropology museum in the region. It cares for the world's largest collections of Southwestern Native American pottery, basketry, textiles, and fiber arts, all of which have been designated American Treasures. Its exceptional artifactual, biological, and documentary collections, maintained by an accomplished staff and faculty, keep its programs at the forefront of scholarly investigations while providing public outreach to Arizona's multicultural communities and visitors from around the world.

Southlake Carroll Dragon Football

9781467134439

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

High school football has been called Texas's favorite pastime. If you follow the sport, you have heard of the Southlake Carroll Dragons. That is what happens when a district wins eight state football championships and three national high school championships. The Dragon tradition began in 1959 with the formation of the Carroll Independent School District. With the growth of the Dallas–Fort Worth area, families were attracted to Southlake and the school district's high academic standards and competitive football program. Some of the most successful Texas high school football coaches have blown their whistles in Dragon Stadium—Bob Ledbetter, Todd Dodge, Hal Wasson, and others have kept the Dragons in the record books.

Cactus League

9780738585345

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Arizona's baseball roots run long and deep, but the star of the show is the Cactus League. The state's spring training history is filled with social, political, and cultural intrigue, not to mention a roster of baseball greats. Early on, fans watched Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams, Willie Mays, and the American League's first black player, Larry Doby. Beyond the field, baseball became part of the state's social fabric, as players and fans alike flocked to watering holes, hotels, parades, and a desert resort famous for its mineral baths. History also saw a political battle to save the Cactus League and fend off Florida's attempts to dominate spring training. Today, the Cactus League is a 15-team powerhouse that holds court in Arizona each spring.

Mexican American Baseball in Houston and Southeast Texas

9781467126359

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Mexican American Baseball in Houston and Southeast Texas pays tribute to the baseball and softball players and teams from Houston, Sugar Land, Texas City, Richmond, and other surrounding communities in the region. Since the early 1900s, this game has had an important role in the lives of area Mexican Americans. In the Houston barrios, when entrenched discriminatory practices obstructed city unity, the diamond brought people together. In the Sugar Land region, Mexican Americans, African Americans, and Anglos worked and played together, blurring racial lines. Baseball and softball built community pride and connected generations of Mexican American families. The wonderful stories and breathtaking images in this book help resurrect the rich and little-known history of Mexican American baseball and softball in this key part of Texas.

Cover image for Mexican American Baseball in Houston and Southeast Texas, isbn: 9781467126359

Mexican American Baseball in South Texas

9781467116640

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Mexican American Baseball in South Texas pays tribute to the former baseball teams and players from Edinburg, McAllen, Mission, Pharr, Donna, Alamo, San Juan, Brownsville, Harlingen, and other surrounding communities. From the late 19th century through the 1950s, baseball in South Texas provided opportunities for nurturing athletic and educational skills, reaffirming ethnic identity, promoting political self-determination, developing economic autonomy, and reshaping gender roles for women. Games were special times where Mexican Americans found refuge from backbreaking work and prejudice. These unmatched photographs and stories shed light on the rich history of baseball in this region of Texas.

Railroads of Fort Bend County

9780738579016

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Fort Bend County was formed in the early 1820s by members of Stephen F. Austin's "Old 300." Traders utilized barges and steamboats running along the Brazos River to transport cotton and other products from the lower Brazos Valley to the port at Galveston. In 1853, railroads began to play a larger role in the county's transportation system. Transportation facilities were greatly improved when the first railroad in Texas, the Buffalo, Brazos, and Colorado Railroad Company, completed its first 20-mile segment to Stafford's Point in Fort Bend County from Harrisburg (Houston). As many as eight separate railroads were chartered and operated in Fort Bend County by 1900. Today some of the names have changed but most of the original rail lines remain in operation. The Union Pacific, Burlington Northern Santa Fe, and Kansas City Southern rail companies have picked up where their predecessors left off and are keeping Fort Bend County one of the busiest and fastest-growing counties in the United States.